Greetings and a question

[SEARCH]

Greetings to all C-brats!

I posted over a year ago regarding use of a C-Dory as a survey vessel. The good news is that our company purchased a 2003 22-foot C-Dory and it has proved to be an outstanding vessel for our line of work. We have had the vessel offshore in 4-6-foot seas and it has proven itself time and time again.

The vessel was previsouly the "Laurna Jo" which we have traced back to a C-Brat member in WA. I think the vessel was then purchased and moved to the Tampa Bay area which is where we purchased the vessel.

Here is the vessel being prepared for a remote sensing survey:



Now for my question...We had the vessel out in some heavy seas and one of our technicians noticed a yellowish liquid, somewhat oily to the touch, seeping out of a crack below the entrance to the V-berth. The fluid smells piney. Here is a pic of the crack:



This fluid only appears to be leaking when the vessel is in heavier seas and there is stress on the crack. It appears someone has previously tried to seal the crack with plumbing caulking. Here is a shot of our tech. near the repair area:



We noticed a substantial amount of this fluid has leaked toward the stern:



I have read the posts about water-logged balsa cores and would assume there may be some innundation around the balsa due to the piney smell of the liquid. However the oily texture of the liquid is somewhat puzzling.

Any assistance with this query is much appreciated.

I look forward to posting here in the future and will provide more shots with the vessel all decked out in survey gear!

Best,

Michael

[CAVU]

Michael,
On your vintage boat two problems areas always crop up. You may have one or both: either an improperly sealed drain from the anchor locker or the screws holding the stem guard may have been too long and improperly sealed. Using the search function will give you many hits and repair advice for both problems. If water has gotten into the foam under the vee berth it will take a while to dry it out. Either problem is not likely a wet balsa core issue.

[JamesTXSD]

Welcome aboard, Michael,

It is likely that you have the well-documented leak coming from the anchor locker drain. If there is foam under your v-berth area (most likely), the water could be picking up that yellowish color from that. The solution to this is to check the drain from the locker to the outside of the hull, and seal it - both at the locker side and the hull (behind the clam cover).

Our boat (and plenty of others) have had this situation. We had an inspection port put in that flat area above where your leak is to allow access and draining.

It is not a big deal, but still somewhat disconcerting. Easy fix. Good to hear that the C-Dory is doing its duty well.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[SEARCH]

Thanks Ken...

We have checked the anchor locker and it is not appear to be source of the fluid. However, your point about the bow/stem guard may be right on. Our guard does not appear to adequately attached and there are signs of more plumbers crack sealant under the guard.

What sort of repairs would be suggested for such an issue? Removal/replacement of the guard I am guessing?

I'll go take a couple pics of the guard and post them under this post momentarily...

[SEARCH]

So here is pic of the guard, starboard side:



You can tell it has delaminated in a couple areas and the plumbing caulk was used to try to reseal the guard:





Our anchor locker is sealed from the inside with a rubber stopper but there does not appear to be a stopper/plug installed from the port-side through-hull fitting. Maybe we need to seal this first then move onto to the bow guard?

[jdahlfin]

I purchased a 2006 22ft cruiser, and second time out in the water,I had the exact same problem, very hard to find, finally I found the steering column was leaking and running between the two fiberglas panels on the firewall, took it to the dealer and was only a o ring in the steering system, very simple to fix. this might be your problem as well.

[Larry H]

Michael,

That rubber guard is an aftermarket installation. The stem guard which was installed at the factory is brass and mounted to the stem with screws. To access that brass guard and its screws, you must remove the rubber guard.

[SEARCH]

[matt_unique]

The color and the oily consistency could definitely indicate hydraulic fluid from a bad seal on your steering column. Take a close look to see if you can find any fluid dripping out.

[Grumpy]

Michael,
Even if this is hydraulic fluid you need to take another look at the anchor locker drain. Putting a plug on the inside is not a solution. The problem is due to the fact that there is a void between the outside skin of the hull and the anchor locker itself. This void allows water which either splashed in through the clam shell or drains from the anchor locker to get in between the two skins and enter the (partially) foam filled space under the Porta Potty. The foam soaks up the water. If you look under the potty, you should find a round plastic plug in the floor which you can remove. (May be stuck to foam)
Dig a hole through the foam until you reach the bottom of the hull (don't recommend further digging at that point !!) you wil probably find water there. You can remove it bit by bit with a turkey baster, or go after it with a wet dry vac but in the end you will just have to keep sucking it out until it dries up. Can take days.

Menwhile the solution to the problem is to epoxy or 5200 a tube into the drain hole and seal around it at both ends. Then you can leave it open so that water from your anchor rode has someplace to go. Some folks have noted that the hole is not at the bottom of the locker in which case you may want to build up the floor to avoid pooling.

Seems that the drilling of this hole is very much done "by eye" and some are better than others.

Hope this helps.

Merv

[Rob & Karen]

[flagold]

Are you towing a fish? Looking for bombs, wrecks or both? Part of the state survey of the panhandle area?

If it turns out to be the stemguard, I removed the screws, inserted JB Weld, went along the sides of the guard, and with my finger simply put a bead of JB into the crack, sealed over that with marine sealant (overkill) and have had zero problems with my 2003 and I beach the boat frequently.

[thataway]

All you need is an RV airconditioner and a Honda generator--and you will look liike the Army Corp of Engineers survey boats....of course theirs are made of Aluminum--not as nice as a C Dory.....

I would remove the "keel Guard" --which is the plastic/rubber strip on the bow. Clean off this area with solvent and get rid the adhesive. Pull the screws on the brass stem piece, and then drill out each hole by hand, to a little deeper than the preveious screw. Put JB weld, or Marine Tex into the hole with a toothpick and pack it in well. Then redrill the hole, being careful to not go any deeper than the screw shank (put tape on the drill bit as a depth stop). The put the brass strip back on, beded in 4200 or 5200. The anchor locker floor can be built up with plywood cut to fit, and then covered with glass, a mish/mash of resin and random fibers, plus cabosil will act as a filler under the plywood. Glass over the top of the plywood, put the tube in so that there is no chance of leakage into the area between the hull and its liner.

Agree, there is minimal chance of any core intrusion in the CD 22. Check the level of the hydraulic steering and wipe down the bulkhead under the helm pump. Enjoy the boat! (and a job which puts you on the water!)

[Rob & Karen]

Another question on the tube in the anchor locker drain hole. The hole in my boat is pretty small...maybe 3/16" in diameter. Making it much larger would be difficult because of the position of the hole on the exterior of the boat. What kind of tube is recommended? Stainless? Brass? Plastic? Seal it with 4200 or 5200?

Thanks,

Rob

[jdahlfin]

In answer to how do you check your fluid in your steering column, if you have a Bay Star system there is a cap on the column. In my previous reply I mentioned that I had this same problem as well as several other people on the west coast, this leak is hard to detect or find, cause it runs behind the dash wall between two pieces of fiberglass, if you can start your engine and run the steering wheel back and forth and go under the cabin and pull the canvas cover off the firewall and you can see the leak, I am betting this is your problem, just a simple little O ring, good luck